New touchscreen Android devices designed exclusively for kids with bright colors, rugged cases and no slip grip are overtaking the kiddy phablets market with new releases like Toys R Us’ Tabeo.

Tablets are certainly the hot-ticket item, with Apple projecting over 62 million in iPad sales this last year. But while some parents are only too happy to share their $500-plus tablets with the kids (or even buy the kiddos iPads of their own), some are opting instead to get a tablet designed specifically for their wee ones’ tiny fingers and eager minds.

According to studies of 4,750 adults, 20 percent of tablet-owning parents with kids 6 and under say they let them use their tablet. That number rises to 29 percent among parents with kids older than six and the gadgets ranked highly on kids’ gotta-have list this holiday season.

Kids love tablets, but use them a little differently than we do. Kids use the devices to read, play educational games, watch movies and entertain themselves in any number of ways, either at home or on the go. Of course, kids also have a tendency to be a little less careful with the devices than their parents do, and they don’t necessarily want or need all of the features, functionalities and, frankly, freedoms that adults want and need from tablets; meaning a unique market has emerged.

Boasting a core Android slate, the Tabeo features a 7-inch, non-HD resolution LCD display and while chunky and plastic, ringed by a bumper of rubber, the Tabeo provides a safer virtual environment for kids and sports a lower price point.

Spotting a trend a while back, Toys R Us found kids wanted to play music, surf the internet, play games and watch movies all on their parent’s device. This still left durability as a concern, especially for parents who share their tablets with young children. With the iPad being such an expensive toy to break, the company needed to fill the gap between the low end LeapPad and high end Tablet market.

The Tabeo is priced just under $200, the device features kid geared apps, games focusing on reading and writing, and just like other full-functioning devices, it updates regularly. With Android underpinnings, this kids-only tablet does have the potential to stay updated with the latest apps and OS upgrades unlike the phablets before them.

The Toys “R” Us’ Tabeo tablet, for example, is preloaded with 50 kid-friendly apps and has a curated app store of 7,000 more, a mix of top-rated bestsellers, selections from trusted publishers and developers, and others approved by a team that reviews all content in the store. Toys “R” Us has had great success in terms of high demand with its Tabeo tablet, beginning with pre-orders back in September 2012. They’ve even since had to go back and produce more because of high demand.

While some parents might find it difficult to replace the beloved iPad when their child has already been introduced, the Tabeo will act as a great introductory tablet for parents nervous to hand over expensive technology to young kids.

With the growing popularity of tablets, one wonders if the familiar site of someone unfolding a laptop and perfectly positioning it upon a Starbucks table will soon be a thing of the past. Tablets are increasingly outselling laptops and the proof is apparent everywhere.

On my latest trip to the grocery store, there were several children riding in carts, busily occupied by their mother’s (or perhaps their own) tablet. Tablets were also a popular Christmas gift, with many areas across the country running completely out of stock! If one can gauge the popularity of a product by the fact that their grandmother has or wants one, then tablets are in the lead.

One company, In-Touch, makes tablets designed by seniors just for seniors. Their company mission was to make a tablet “that was not scary, complicated or hard-to-see.” Once grandma and grandpa are coming aboard, it’s safe to say that the product is pervasive. Just like the play in the Bard’s day, the tablets are the thing.

Digitimes recently forecasted that the sales of tablets will grow 38.3% this year, topping laptop shipments for the first time ever. It also expects Apple to be the top vendor, falling only by about 5%. Expected to grow like wildfire this year is the Android tablet. A quick review of ebay offerings shows Android tablets available from a variety of sellers, in every sales price, from every part of the country. Even discount stores like Big Lots advertise Android tablets in their Sunday circulars, though typically not in huge bulk, alongside cleaning mops and lawn furniture.

The tech site Singularity Hub recently remarked about how quickly the tablet gained on, then overtook, the laptop. Their research indicates that originally tech-experts thought the tablet-takeover would occur in 2016. Spurring it on, they say, was “due in part to iPad competitors entering the space along with more available screen sizes.”

It appears that the tablet has arrived. Gone is the laptop era. Who knows if Starbucks will ever be the same.

]]>http://www.shebytes.com/2013/03/01/laptops-you-are-outta-here-era-comes-to-an-end/feed/0Tablet Wars: Microsoft Surface vs. Google Nexus 7http://www.shebytes.com/2012/07/09/tablet-wars-microsoft-surface-vs-google-nexus-7/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tablet-wars-microsoft-surface-vs-google-nexus-7
http://www.shebytes.com/2012/07/09/tablet-wars-microsoft-surface-vs-google-nexus-7/#commentsMon, 09 Jul 2012 09:59:45 +0000http://www.shebytes.com/?p=8057Microsoft is enjoying the moment. As tablet wars heat up, all attention is on Surface, the latest Windows tablet recently debuted. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer admits that the computing titan has been mum about it until the release of the product. He said he knew the tablet would have to be obviously superior to competing products, adding “we wanted to give Windows 8 its own hardware.”

Surface is thin, light, comfy to the touch, and definitely looking chic with a magnesium body. It has clear RT display and everything about its design is impressive. It’s a tablet but if you want a cover, you can snap one on and it stays in place. In a very real sense, Microsoft has redesigned what a tablet should be. My favorite part though, is that the Windows 8 Surface can be either a tablet or a computer –depending on your mood. That’s because the snap on cover is also a slender touch keyboard accessory.

The front is chic black glass, which is bonded to the magnesium main chassis. Turn it on and you see the Windows logo. The fact that you won’t see the word Microsoft on the case adds to its mystique. The tablet is is 9.3 mm, mega-thin for the Windows RT version. The Pro version is a bit thicker about 13.5 mm but it’s great for those who have slippery fingers and get uncomfortable holding delicate or fragile gadgets. Both versions have the 10.6-inch widescreen ClearType HD Display. The tablet is extremely thin, but while it looks fragile, it is made of “gorilla glass” according to Microsoft –protecting it from scratches and perhaps a few light drops.

For those who aren’t used to holding a tablet, there is a built in stand that goes along with the Surface tablet. If you’re not particularly fond of tablets, you can use it like a computer by putting the cover on.

What about ports? Microsoft has cut down on them, designing the Surface with as few ports as possible. The Surface has a magnetic keyboard connection at its bottom. The top has the power button, speakers on the sides and dual microphones. There is one USB port called USB 3.0 for the Surface PRO and micro HDMI also on the Surface PRO, with a magnetic power connector.

This is where Microsoft was super thoughtful: there are two different covers for the Surface tablet. While each of them acts as a cover that can protect the front of the tablet, the Type Cover has moving keys while the Touch Cover is capacitive. The Type Cover, with physical keys, is for those who’d prefer a PC-like experience. Both covers are portable, functional, chic and definitely something of a novelty designed by Microsoft.

Back to tablet wars… how will the Surface tablet compete against the Google Nexus 7, released just last week? That’s something tech fans are all watching. After all, the Nexus 7’s price is a reasonable $200, while rumors have indicated that the pricing for the RT tablet will be around $599 for the 32GB model, with the Pro version at $899. The Surface is much pricier, but if the buzz around the device is accurate, Microsoft’s new design and functionality is worth the it. It will be interesting to see how the tablet wars unfold, and more importantly, and if this device can overtake Apple’s marketshare!

First trending we have “RIP Justin Bieber.” Then later, “Ask Steve Jobs.” Twitter kills people who are still alive and asks questions of those that are dead.

Windows 8

Windows 8 comes out this fall and the buzz keeps building! As most people know, it will run on both desktops and tablets, and offer touch screen capabilities and use tiles instead of the dreaded Microsoft start menu. New Windows 8 tablets are expected from all the major hardware manufacturers (Dell, Toshiba, Sony, Samsung, HP and Lenovo). We could also see a new crop of tablet-laptop combination devices, sporting Windows 8. The operating system might also work with the new Windows phones expected out later this year. The key for Microsoft is whether it can create a mobile experience for the desktop and can linking mobile devices with traditional desktops give it an edge in each of these markets? I think at the enterprise level, Windows 8 may help Microsoft protect its current customer base and stop the migration to Mac. But will it take off with consumers? I think that’s less likely. People love the iPad –no other tablets have succeeded but the iPad– and even Android is losing ground to the iPhone.

FaceBook IPO Troubles

I reported earlier about the long anticipated Facebook IPO, which took place on Friday. What happened next has turned into nothing short of a debacle. It all started with a Nasdaq glitch; early this week some brokerages were still unsure if their orders had closed, or at what price. Those traders that took losses because of the glitch are still waiting to hear what Nasdaq plans to do about compensating them. Lawsuit #1.

Totally separate from the Nasdaq issues, there’s a regulatory investigation beginning into how Facebook and its bankers handled sensitive financial information that was “selectively disclosed” to big banks ahead of the IPO. Lawsuit #2.

So why has the stock price fallen so much? Some market watchers are saying that Nasdaq’s glitch and other technical trading issues are contributing factors. But others attribute the demise to the IPO itself, which was remarkably high given Facebook’s financial fundamentals. All of the drama around Facebook’s IPO may have some investors taking a very close look at the company — and thinking twice about what its stock is really worth. The big question I have with Facebook, is could the stock take down the rest of the tech sector? Is it enough to “pop the bubble,” so to speak? Comparisons between today’s Internet IPO valuations and the Dotcom boom in the late 1990s have been coming for months now; and while they’re not the same, like any investment trend, they depend on strong investor confidence. Once investors lose confidence in a flagship company, that uncertainty could soon infect other industry brands as well, however unrelated. Facebook could end up blowing us away, of course. They’ve been criticized for being overvalued, and the P/E was at 100 – but remember that Apple’s IPO valuation in 1980 had a P/E ratio of 92. So there is a precedent for succeeding even with a massive valuation compared to actual revenue. I think to succeed, however, Facebook may have to change its attitude -especially toward consumer data. It may have to mine more. It will definitely have to do better on advertising, and mobile advertising is the key. But other approaches shouldn’t be taken off the table -like creating premium subscriptions and the like (think LinkedIn).

Mobile Advertising Challenges

Facebook will need to make some serious cash in the years ahead; while ads will account for a portion of projected revenue growth, in the ad space, Facebook simply isn’t completing well with giants like Google. Facebook will need to look to Apps (i.e. social games like Farmville) for new revenue streams. After all, as compared to ads, there are only so many ads that can be crammed onto a tiny mobile screen. Mobile advertising challenges will be largely driven by Facebook’s massive revenue demands, so I’m excited to see what new startups will end up playing a role in that. Could we see more private equity going into smart mobile advertising solutions? I definitely think so. And I think we could also see more acquisitions in this space occurring as well, from a lot of big brands.

Microsoft So.cl

Microsoft So.cl is being dubbed a “Bing Bulletin Board.” The new social sharing concept debuted this week as a possible rival to Facebook. So.cl looks to me like a hybrid of Bing Search, Pinterest and Facebook. Some have asked whether it’s the next Facebook (suggesting it might become a replacement). If Facebook invented what is modern day social media, why are people looking toward a gen-2 Facebook replacement? Facebook does what it does well. A competitor needs to INVENT something new to draw users away from something that is free and works well. We should look towards new tech startups (like Facebook once was — when it invented its own genre of technology). I am sure Microsoft understands it won’t know Facebook out so easily, since as of right now, users can only sign in to So.cl though their Facebook or Windows Live accounts. I’m not sure that I see So.cl succeeding at all. Google+ (a.k.a. Google c+) is having a hard enough time, and they have Google Search and the Android platform to support them. How can Microsoft even hope to succeed? I think the real direction for social networks today is one-to-one networking and private networks, sites that keep your information private. We’ve seen a bunch of these startups recently like Path, Pair, Cupple, Everyme and Sgrouples.

What does the Kleiner Perkins Lawsuit mean for Women in tech?

Women in tech is an issue that’s simmered for years – but it just got a lot hotter with a sexual harrassment lawsuit against the legendary VC firm Kleiner Perkins, by a former partner. The female investment partner claims she suffered multiple instances of sexual harassment, retaliation and sexual and gender discrimination over the past six years. Out of 50 people on its investment and operations teams, Kleiner employs 12 women, according to the firm’s website. These figures reflect that Kleiner is more gender-diverse than the venture capital industry as a whole, which is dominated by men, especially white men. I don’t think this suit can be marked as a clear reflection of the way women are treated in Silicon Valley or the technology space as a whole; it looks to me like an isolated incident. But nonetheless, this is terrible press for a company that, on the surface, has been trying to maintain gender diversity.

Are women treated differently in tech? It’s a hot topic of debate on SheBytes! For whatever reason, the majority of people in tech are men (or boys) and that’s definitely driven the culture. I don’t believe women are excluded from success in tech, but I think the fraternal nature of the industry might make it harder to network and gain notice. On the other hand, being a standout in a sea of men can also work in a woman’s favor; it depends how she plays it. We have some great role models out there with Sheryl Sandberg (Facebook), Meg Whitman (HP), Marissa Mayer (Google), etc., who have done it right!

If data security frustrates you, you’re not alone! With mobile device usage and cloud adaptation on the rise, people are accessing more and more data on the fly. And with so much sensitive information dispersed and accessed across the internet, security has never been a more critical subject. I was quoted on the subject in a recent article title Protecting Data Through BPM, authored on BusinessAgility.com by my friend Pierre DeBois, Founder of Zimana, a consulting company that specializes in digital marketing.

The article is insightful; going on to highlight an interesting Gartner study noting the increase of mobile devices as one of the top strategic trends for 2012: “the era of PC dominance with Windows as the single platform will be replaced with a post-PC era where Windows is one of a variety of environments IT will need to support.”

As we move away from traditional desktop and server infrastructure, the increase in cloud adaptation will correlate to an increase in mobile device usage; inclusive of mobile phones, laptops, and in particular, tablets… for example, Cloud Desktops now let you run a Windows 7 desktop using your Apple iPad, or any other Internet-connected device. The flexibility is impressive and becoming increasingly more so.

]]>http://www.shebytes.com/2011/12/15/mobile-devices-and-data-security-in-the-cloud/feed/0The Evolution of the App: How Apps Evolvedhttp://www.shebytes.com/2011/07/31/the-evolution-of-the-app/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-evolution-of-the-app
http://www.shebytes.com/2011/07/31/the-evolution-of-the-app/#commentsSun, 31 Jul 2011 15:00:45 +0000http://www.shebytes.com/?p=2724Wondering how the app evolved? There’s a process to the app evolution! Mobile technology has forever revolutionized the way we compute, predominantly via apps. Above is a nice infographic illustrating the history and evolution of mobile apps. For instance, the iPhone App Store has generated over 4 billion downloads, totaling over $3 billion in revenue –WOW!

]]>http://www.shebytes.com/2011/07/31/the-evolution-of-the-app/feed/230 Tips and Tricks for iPad 2 & iPhone 4 – #10: Save, Edit, Create – Documents to Gohttp://www.shebytes.com/2011/04/30/30-daily-tips-and-tricks-for-ipad-2-iphone-4-10/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=30-daily-tips-and-tricks-for-ipad-2-iphone-4-10
http://www.shebytes.com/2011/04/30/30-daily-tips-and-tricks-for-ipad-2-iphone-4-10/#commentsSat, 30 Apr 2011 19:00:50 +0000http://www.shebytes.com/?p=1013Did you know you can save, as well as edit and create documents on your iPhone 4 / iPad 2? Purchase the Documents To Go application. It will allow you to save a full suite of Microsoft Office documents to your device (Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint documents) in their original format. Documents To Go will also let you save and view Adobe PDF files, Apple iWork files, and others.

The app also incorporates a Desktop Application with 2-Way File Sync using Wi-Fi. Any changes made to a file on your device or computer will automatically be merged with the corresponding document upon synchronization.

The program is available in two versions: Regular (described above) and Premium. With the Premium version, you can you save (as well as edit and create) PowerPoint documents. The premium version also supports Online/Cloud Documents, allowing you to download, view and edit your files from your Google Docs, Box.net, Dropbox, MobileMe iDisk or SugarSync account directly in Docs To Go. Any changes you make can be saved and synchronized back to the online account so that you’ll always have the most up-to-date version of your file on hand. You can even create new files in Docs To Go and upload them immediately / directly to your Cloud account.

The Premium version is $16.99 and Regular version is $9.99. If you’re a busy professional that’s often on the go, I think this app is well worth the investment. Documents to Go includes support for Office 2007, 2008, and 2010. Featured on CNN, Winner of the “Best App Ever Awards” and “Productivity App of the Year” award.

One item of note: if you keep sensitive data on your device, make sure you have security measures setup. Read more about the top three items to secure your iPad / iPhone data: here.

Tablets and smartphones can be repositories for loads of sensitive data. If you’re using your device for business and it’s on ActiveSync with MS Exchange, just in case you lose it (or you’re fired), chances are your employer can wipe your device on the admin side.

But what if you’re not using it for business? If the device has loads of proprietary data on it, for starters, you better have a passcode lock on it! Secondly, you should be backing up your data to your computer regularly (using iTunes). Thirdly, you should be backing up that computer! If you’re already doing those three things, you’re way ahead of the game. But there’s an extra security measure you can take: set your iPad / iPhone to self-destruct in 10 seconds (well, not exactly –but close). You can configure the device to do a full data wipe after ten failed passcode attempts for entry. Simply go to Settings > General > Passcode Lock > Erase Data. Your device is now safe!